Math Problem Statement
- Let α be an irrational number. Prove that there exist infinitely many rational numbers p/q satisfying (2.25).
Solution
Let be an irrational number. The task is to prove that there exist infinitely many rational numbers (where and are integers) satisfying the following inequality:
This result is a famous theorem from Diophantine approximation known as Dirichlet's approximation theorem. The theorem guarantees that for any irrational number , there are infinitely many rational numbers such that:
Proof (Outline of Dirichlet's Approximation Theorem):
-
The pigeonhole principle:
Consider the fractional parts for , where denotes the fractional part of . These are values in the interval , and there are such values. -
Partition the interval:
Divide the interval into equal subintervals of length . By the pigeonhole principle, at least two of the fractional parts and ( { n_2 \alpha }
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Diophantine Approximation
Irrational Numbers
Rational Approximations
Number Theory
Formulas
|α - p/q| < 1/q²
Theorems
Dirichlet's Approximation Theorem
Pigeonhole Principle
Suitable Grade Level
University level (Advanced Mathematics, Number Theory)